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Saturday 26 November 2016

Knowle relocation project: other planning applications for PegasusLife 'retirement villages' have been refused

Despite the proposals for the Knowle site falling foul of innumerable planning policies, District Council officers have few qualms in approving the plans:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: planning application to be considered by District Council: Tuesday 6th December >>> planning officers brush aside planning policies

Elsewhere in the country, there does not appear to be any such conflict:

This letter has just been sent to the press:


                                                Compare and Contrast

The highly controversial PegasusLife application for Knowle is to be decided at 10.30 am on Tuesday 6 December in the Council Chamber at Knowle, Sidmouth.

Readers might like to compare it with other recent PegasusLife applications:
      1. Bath (assisted living): refused: “excessive and incongruous height”, “harmful impact upon surrounding heritage assets”, “nearby listed buildings undermined”, “the excessive tall building fails to respect its context”, “harmful impact on character and appearance of surrounding conservation area”
2.      Bristol (Nuffield Hospital site) – officers can't support due to “excessive bulk and massing”, “doesn't relate to surrounding context”, would “dominate the townscape”
3.      Wilmslow: refused: “too large, too high, no affordables”
4.      Harpenden (retirement flats) – refused due to “height (20.7 metres)”, “lack of privacy for neighbours”, “footprint 28 degrees greater than existing buildings”, “visually intrusive”, “residents' parking would spill onto neighbouring roads”
5.      Knowle, Sidmouth (assisted living – or second homes?) - officers approve

The East Devon District Council's planning officer, departing from the Local Plan and its planning strategies, claims the the “benefits” to Sidmouth outweigh the harm to an English-Heritage listed building.
“Benefits”? Could he mean
·         the overbearing, intrusive impact on the park and neighbourhood of an excessively high, out-of-scale, massed development?
·         the loss of heritage buildings and public assets like the Council Chamber where so many people met recently over the proposed hospital bed cuts?
·         the loss of weekend parking to this tourist town?
·         the loss of about 100 jobs?
·         the blot on Sidmouth's skyline?
·         the loss to the public of the park's fine lawn prospect?
·         the lack of a contribution towards affordable housing?
·         possible downtown drainage overflow during flash floods?
·         etc.


Mike Temple, Sidmouth  


EDDC and Knowle – reasons for refusal of PegasusLife planning application – but will a new HQ sway councillors? | East Devon Watch
Reasons PegasusLife Planning Applications have been refused. Comparisons with Sidmouth’s Knowle? | Save Our Sidmouth

Here's a little piece in the press from a year ago:
PegasusLife retirement village | Retirement | Finance | Daily Express

Looking at plans for these nice retirement villages, not every one actually seems to be in the offing:
Pegasuslife: some interesting planning application comments | East Devon Watch
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project >>> Pegasus plans in full >>> "At £400K per apartment, Pegasus is in line for a £40m bonanza."

In Bath:
Bath, Somerset - Portfolio - PegasusLife
UPPER BRISTOL ROAD, BATH - PROPOSED ASSISTED LIVING DEVELOPMENT

In Bristol:
Bristol Central - Portfolio - PegasusLife
BRISTOL URBAN DESIGN FORUM - SYNOPSIS

In Wilmslow:
Chapelwood, Wilmslow - Portfolio - PegasusLife
Chapelwood, Wilmslow | Redefining retirement apartments
Decision on plan for retirement apartments put back - wilmslow.co.uk

In Harpenden:
Park House, Harpenden - Portfolio - PegasusLife
Developer likely to appeal over rejection of Harpenden retirement home plan - News - Herts Advertiser
Go-ahead given for demolition of derelict Harpenden care home and redevelopment of site - News - Herts Advertiser

And in Sidmouth:
Sidmouth, Devon - Portfolio - PegasusLife
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